Judith Margolis

Judith Margolis (born September 24, 1944) is an Israel-based American artist working visually in paintings, drawings, artist's books and multi-media collages. In her art and writing she "explores tensions between consciousness, feminism, and religious ritual tradition".
Early life
Margolis was born into a Jewish family and Yiddish-speaking community in the Bronx, NY. In 1948 her family moved to suburban New Jersey, from which the adolescent Margolis would adventure to New York City for her early artistic education.
Early artistic training
Margolis began her artistic training during high school at age 15 with a drawing class at The Art Students League, then attended Cooper Union, where she met her first husband Albie Tabackman. The two traveled across the United States to California, where they lived at Magic Forest Farm in Oregon. Margolis also studied at Lone Mountain College in San Francisco, and has an MFA (1986) from the University of Southern California.
Travels
Margolis led an Orthodox Jewish life in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Israel before leaving the orthodoxy. And for the last 10 years, since leaving Orthodoxy, she has been slowly finding a balance between everything she has gained from her religious life and a retrieval of the freedoms that she believes are important for her art.
Career
Since 1998, Margolis has been the Art Editor of Nashim: The Journal of Jewish Women's Studies and Gender Issues, published by Indiana University Press.
She was selected as one of ten international Common Ground artists.
Margolis is Creative Director of Bright Idea Books, which produces limited edition and artist's books.
Margolis wrote and illustrated the prayer book Life Support; Invitation to Prayer.
In 2015 she was co-curator for the Jerusalem Biennale, presenting the Women of the Book exhibition in which women artists offered their own interpretations of the weekly divisions of the bible.
Education
MFA from University of Southern California, 1986
BA from Lone Mountain College, SF, CA 1977
Two years study at Cooper Union, NY, 1962–64
Additional studies Columbia University, NY
Notable works
Life Support: Invitation to Prayer, Penn State University Press (2019)
Countdown to Perfection:Meditations on the Sefirot. Limited edition fine art unbound book contained in an individual, linen clad, oyster box. (2009)
The Underground Dreams of a Cactus, Limited edition hand painted etching, mono-print cover. (1983)
Family
Judith's second husband, the author David Margolis, died on July 17, 2005. She has three children and six grandchildren.
Exhibitions
One person exhibitions
Hebrew Union College, New York, New York . 2009
Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles, California . 2008
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California . 2003
Yeshiva University Museum, New York, New York . 2002
Brandeis Bardin Institute . Simi Valley, California . 2000
Talpiot Industrial Gallery . Jerusalem . 1994
ARTernatives Gallery . San Luis Obispo, California . 1989
University Of Southern California . Los Angeles . 1986
Buffalo Street Gallery . Ithaca, New York . 1988
Smedley's Gallery . Ithaca, New York . 1981
Eisenhower College Gallery . Seneca Falls, New York . 1978
Ithaca House Gallery . Ithaca, New York . 1978
Cole/Hayes Gallery . San Francisco . 1977
Two person exhibitions
University of Judaism (now the American Jewish University) / Platt Gallery . Los Angeles . (scheduled) 1999
Ithaca House Gallery . Ithaca, New York . 1981
Selected group exhibitions
Women of the Book First Station, Jerusalem, Israel (2015)
Jerusalem Biennial 2015
“Gathering Sparks,” (2014) Mizel Museum, Denver, CO
“Find Common Ground” (2008) Huan Tie Art Museum, Beijing China
Anlasslich des 125. Geburtstages von Hermann Hesse” (2002) KunstKeller Gallery, Annaberg, German
Florida Atlantic University. Boca Raton, Florida. 2000
University of Arizona Museum of Art. Tucson, Arizona. 2000
Kutztown University Gallery. 1999
Plains Art Museum. Fargo, North Dakota. 1998
Morris Louis Gallery/Bezelel. Jerusalem. 1998
B'nai B'rith National Jewish Museum. Washington, District of Columbia . 1997
Central Exhibition Hall. Moscow. 1996
Kerim Institute, Jerusalem. 1996
Kanner Heritage Museum. Toronto, Canada. 1996
Skirball Cultural Center. Los Angeles. 1996
Navon Gallery. Neve Ilan, Israel. 1995
Plotkin Judaica Museum. Phoenix, Arizona. 1995
The Knesset. Jerusalem. 1994
Arad Art Museum. Arad, Israel. 1994
Yeshiva University Museum. NYC. 1993
Perkins Gallery. Boston. 1993
Dubin-Wolf Exhibit Center. Los Angeles. 1992
Loyola University Laband Gallery. Los Angeles. 1991
UCLA Kirkham Gallery Los Angeles. 1991
Aishet Chayil (traveled between 1990 and 1998), opened at Yeshiva University Museum NYC and closed at Bezalel Gallery, Jerusalem, Israel.
Dubin-Wolf Exhibit Center. Los Angeles. 1989
The Art Store. Los Angeles. 1987
University of Wisconsin Fine Art Gallery. Milwaukee. 1987
Arts Commission Gallery. Los Angeles. 1987
Otis/Parsons Gallery. Los Angeles. 1984
Amfac Plaza Gallery. Honolulu. 1984
Herbert Johnson Museum. Ithaca, New York. 1983
Columbia-Greene Community College. New York. 1983
Arnot Art Museum. Elmira, New York. 1983
Rockefeller Arts Center. Fredonia, New York. 1983
Schenectedy Museum. New York. 1983
At Home, Long Beach Museum. California. 1983
Rutgers University Art Museum. New Brunswick, New Jersey . 1981
Traction Gallery. Los Angeles. 1981
Tompkins-Cortland Community College . New York . 1981
Arnot Museum. Elmira, New York . 1981
Zone Gallery. Springfield, Massachusetts. 1981
Womanworks Gallery . Buffalo, New York. 1981
Ithaca House Gallery . Ithaca, New York. 1981
Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art. 1979
Hinckley Foundation Museum . Ithaca, New York. 1979
AART Gallery. Oakland, California. 1979
State University of New York Art Gallery. Binghamton. 1978
Cornell University Art Gallery. Ithaca, New York . 1978
Lone Mountain College Art Gallery. San Francisco, California. 1977
Collections
New York
New York Public Library Special Collections
Dr. Al Molvadan
Meredith Tax
Barbara Rochman
Liza Norman
Dr. Phyllis Silverman
Janet Braun-Reinitz
Seattle
University of Washington Rare Book Collection
Jerusalem
Seth Althotz
Dani and Deborah Kollin
Rabbi Daniel Landes and Sheryl Robbin
Timna Katz
LSusan Schneider
Eli and Miriam Avidan
Drs. Jeff and Jane Kimchi
Ephraim and Sigal Tabackman
Rabbi Joel and Donna Zeff
Tel Aviv
Dan and Penny Witties
Dr. Jim and Diane Breivis
Drs. Cody and Lucy Fisher
Annette and Steve Hess
Sara Katz
San Diego, California
Noa Summerfield
Jean Diamond Sargent
Los Angeles
Midway Hospital Medical Center
Hebrew Union College Skirball Museum
UCLA Fine Arts Library
Beverly Hills Fine Arts Library
Uri Harkham
Nancy Berman
Robert J. Avrech
James and Sonya Cummings
Mark Carliner
Michelle Rappaport
Blossom Norman
Dr. Robert and Peggy Sloves
Phillip and Judith Miller
Barbara Schuster
Diane Isaacs Fink
Abby Yasgar and Joey Lipner
Adam Leipzig and Lori Zimmerman
Drs. Suzanne and Moshe Spira
Dr. Deborah Berger
Drs. Donna Cooper-Matchett & Bill Matchett
Lynn and Morton Moskowitz
Moscow
Artist's House, Chilushskinskaya
Berkeley, California
UC Berkeley Fine Arts Library
Boca Raton, Florida
Arthur Jaffe Center for Rare Books
Baltimore
John and Linda Haas
Ithaca, New York
Tompkins County Hospital
Fredrika and Bill Kaven
Myra Malkin
Catherine O'Neill
Linda Myers
Sandra Gittleman
Robert and Corinne Stern
Ira and Anne Brous
Moorehead, Mn
Minnesota State University
Faculty appointments, residencies and awards
Coolidge Colloquium Research Fellowship; 2010
18th Street Arts Center, Santa Monica, CA; 2008, 2009
Hebrew Union College, Los Angeles, CA; 2008
Brandeis-Bardein College Institute (LA), Faculty; 1999-00
International Plein-Air Printmaking Grant, Chelushkinskaya, Russia (1996)
International Plein-Air Printmaking Residency Grant, Fargo ND (1998)
International Plein-Air, Artist-in-Residence; Morehead, MN; 1998
Brandeis-Bardein College Institute (LA), Faculty; 1997
Chomut, Christina, TODAY'S LOCAL NEWS, "Space Visions", January 30, 2005
International Plein-Air, Artist-in-Residence, Moscow; 1996
Arad Arts Project (Israel), Artist-in-Residence; 1993–94
Center for Jewish Culture and Creativity, Project Grant; 1993–94
UCLA Extension, Instructor, Drawing/Painting/Book design; 1990–93
University of Southern California (LA), Instructor, Painting/Design; 1984–89
University of Judaism (LA), Instructor Painting/Drawing/Book Design; 1990–91
Brandeis-Bardein College Institute (LA), Faculty; 1988–90
Woman's Studio Workshop (NY), Artist-in-Residence/Project grant; 1983 During this residency, Margolis created The underground dreams of cactus, an handmade artit's book in an edition of 20. The book documents a post-modern woman's experience. Sixteen etchings incorporating images and handwritten text explore the perils of living in a body-conscious, sex conscious world.
Cornell Council on the Arts (NY), Project grant; Ithaca, 1983
References
External links
Official web site
Nashim: The Journal of Jewish Women's Studies and Gender Issues
CommonGround2008
Bright Idea Books
"Women of the Book"
"Judith Margolis:The Yatir Collection"
Kalsman Institute on Judaism and Health
Feminist artists
American contemporary painters
American women painters
American women illustrators
American illustrators
University of San Francisco alumni
Columbia University alumni
University of Southern California alumni
20th-century American artists
20th-century American women artists
21st-century American artists
21st-century American women artists
Jewish American artists
Israeli artists
Israeli women artists
Jewish women painters
Jewish painters
Living people
1944 births
21st-century American Jews